Values of students attending faith-based schools

Are religious schools good or bad for Canada? That’s the title of a column by Sun religion reporter Doug Todd, which draws on research by Canadian sociologist Reginald Bibby.

Bibby found that only 29 per cent of students attending Sikh, Muslim and other non-Christian religious schools would choose to live in Canada (compared to 54 per cent of all Canadian teens). As well, students at Christian and other religious independent schools in Canada are significantly more likely than other Canadian teens to believe war is justified. But they’re also more likely to value hard work and have greater concern about world poverty.

Why are we taking scarce tax dollars away from public schools and re-directing them to subsidize institutions that brainwash Canadian children into believing that war is good and that Canada is bad? The ideologues and zealots already have two-thirds of the children’s lives to teach them these things – public education is supposed to provide some balance and common ground, with an independent curriculum based on broad Canadian community values and transparent standards – how do we expect to maintain a cohesive, stable society without that shared base? And we need to be aware that the Fraser Institute and the Libertarian wing of the BC Liberal government have made this Province a leader, nationally, in promoting religious schooling. Their education funding policies have encouraged the closure of public schools while encouraging more families to put their children in these religious schools.

incredible!! Tom Appleby again substitutes bigoted opinion, misinformation and conspiracy theories for reasoned discussion and debate. Isn’t this just what we try to avoid through education? As for the so-called findings cited in Todd’s article, there are other explanations. And as long as there are other potential explanations there cannot be any hard conclusions drawn. For instance, many of the children attending non christian religious schools are either immigrants or children of new immigrants. It is not surprising they have views that differ from the average Canadian family here for multi-generations. The idea that schools should fundamentally shape the views and opinions of children is moving into the realm of social engineering where bureaucrats and teachers decide what is acceptable thought. Do we really want that? Education is about learning to think for yourself, critically and in a reasoned manner. It is not about being pablum fed your thoughts and opinions. Perhaps there should be a study of how much this occurs in public schools?

Tom- you are ignorant of what is taught in private schools. Go find out, have a look and then try to make that blanket statement again. You won’t be able to. When I was uneducated, I thought the same way as you. I have been able to see what is taught in faith based schools (albeit only Christian and Catholic thus far) and have found this not to be the case. In fact, the exact opposite. I see less bullying, more social conciousness and less materialism. I changed my mind. I am glad that I am not as close-minded as I once was.

Where in the bible does Jesus say war is good? Any school that has children believe war is good is not a Christian School. Ditto for all the other religions. Maybe it is time for these schools to “turn the other cheek”.

My tax dollars go to fund these private religious schools so that students attending them believe, most likely through the values taught in those institutions, that war is okay, homosexuals are evil, and those “poor people” over there are to be pitied. When will the taxpaying citizens of BC finally wake up to the resources these so-called “schools” suck from public education and demand financial support from our tax base be terminated!